Calling All Female MBA Applicants (2016 Intake; Class of 2017/2018)

Hi Esther! Glad to see a place for us ladies. I'll be applying to top tier schools this fall, looking to move into Social Entrepreneurship post-MBA. Currently in the process of brainstorming how I want to "brand" myself in my application. A couple initial questions:

-Has anyone considered hiring an admissions consultant? I realize it's expensive, but compared to the price of tuition...
-Speaking of tuition, has anyone been researching scholarships for women in MBA programs? I'm curious about what's out there.

Good luck with everyone still preparing for the GMAT and getting this process underway!

Hello ladies!

Glad to see this. I am still studying for the GMAT, and curious to know how you all prepared. I am leaning towards a mix of self study using an online program and tutor. Any recommendations?

Hi! I am applying for business school during the Fall 2015 application season. I have 5 years experience in retail banking and I am looking into top Healthcare MBA programs with a specialization in marketing. I prefer to be in the South,Midwest or Midatlantic. Nice to meet you all!

Hi All,

I will be applying to my target schools round 2. I am an MLT MBA Prep 2016 fellow. I will have 4 years of experience by matriculation. I attended an HBCU and I am currently an Underwriter for JPMorgan's Private Bank. I'm looking forward to this journey.

So I hired an MGMAT tutor myself, and he was pretty awesome. I took the LSAT when in undergrad (dodged that bullet) and took a Kaplan classroom course, so that's my base for comparison. What's nice about having a tutor is that they can give you tips for specific problem-types that will really help you. When you do an online program or a classroom, you're accounting for the lowest common denominator and the lack of customization can definitely slow your studying down. I know in my LSAT classroom setting, we had some folks that really slowed down the pace and it could feel pretty inefficient.

That being said, there are plenty of people who self-study and do VERY well. I feel like the biggest things I learned from my tutor were essentially tricks to solving tougher 700+ level problems. Otherwise, you can get tons of great advice from this forum as well as from an online program. If you're disciplined and trust your googling abilities, you may not need a tutor, but if you can afford one and it will make you feel more comfortable, a tutor can be a GREAT resource.

It also gives you someone to brag to when you get your dream score!!

Welcome, MBA18, teesmartgirl, CircusNerd and Nai222! So glad you joined us! [Happy dance]

OK...

CircusNerd:

You've raised the million dollar question re hiring an admissions consultant. I think if you want one of the top programs and to stand out and "brand" yourself, as you say, hiring one might be a good investment. To be honest, I've given myself the mother of all headaches comparing all the different options out there. I think word-of-mouth might be my best bet at this point. My cousin went to HBS and my friend got into Wharton and they recommended I check out LadyMBA (https://www.ladymba.com/). I love their dedication to women applying to top-tier business schools and the fact that you can join their student mentoring program when you get in. It all looks promising, but I still need to fill out their form and ask some more questions (packages & pricing, etc.). I've been so swamped with work that I haven't had a chance to do that yet. Also, I'm not sure about their experience with international b-schools, since their team is comprised of Wharton, HBS, Stanford & Kellogg grads, while they have grads from only one international program, i.e., INSEAD. I'd like to try a couple of non-US schools along with my US ones. Does anyone know a consultant with experience helping folks to get into IMD and CEIBS, for example?

So cool that you're targeting Social Entrepreneurship post-MBA. It seems to be a super hot field now. I'm very curious about it myself. Do you plan on pursuing it in the US or in an emerging market?

Thanks for sharing your GMAT prep experience. I self-studied, but it sure didn't get me the 770 score that you have. I'm considering retaking the test, but ohhh, the pain...

MBA18:

I think your plan to use a mix of self-studying, online programs and a tutor sounds good. I'm not sure how the tutor thing works, since I self-studied. If it's possible to sign up for just the hours you need vs. a whole program, why not? Keep us posted on what you decide and any recommendations you may have as you prepare.

teesmartgirl:

Healthcare MBAs are super hot now, too, and I think we can all see why. Awesome to have you join us, as I'm sure there'll be other ladies wanting to compare notes with you.

Nai222:

Sounds like a very solid profile to me! How's MLT working out for you? I've heard about it, but don't really know how exactly it works. I'm sure others might like to hear about your experience, too.

Have a great weekend, ladies!

Hello there!

I'm still in the midst of studying for the GMAT (it's such a grueling process) thru self-studying. I took a prep course but I did not find it up to my standards since I've been out of school for a while and would need to relearn alot of the quant content. I felt the prep course went by too fast and focus on more strategies. Ideally, I would like to apply for Round 1 and 2 to matriculate in Fall 2016.

Post graduation plans for now is to go into corporate finance/professional development program in the retail/CPG industry or financial risk management (business analytics and open to any field).

I'm also interested in consulting but have yet to research further into this profession.

Nice to meet you all and let's support each other!

Hi all! I wrote my GMAT this month. Scored a 710 (46Q, 41V, 6AWA, 6IR) - could have done much better had I not gone lax in the last 5-7 Quant questions, but I don't plan to re-take it. I studied by myself and this was my first attempt. I'd say a 700+ is very much doable by oneself, it is going towards 750 that needs more focus and cleverer strategy.

I'm a 23-year old (OK fine I'll turn 24 soon) Software Developer working with Oracle for 2 years now. I have plentiful extra-curricular achievements from my school and college years in my profile, apart from a short but rather successful single-handed social-media stint with a startup, followed by a successful Marketing internship with India's topmost startup incubator, and finally followed by an entrepreneurial undertaking that brought together hundreds of students from across the globe together for our cause and also won two international titles, among other things. I regret having chosen the traditional big corp Software domain 'coz I feel underutilized here. MBA plans are to make amends (and to break away from the culture of earmarking certain careers as fit or unfit for women that's especially dominant in my society, so I can explore my own ideas and abilities better.)

It's really nice to see this thread. This is the first time I'm participating on this forum. I'm targeting the top-10 or so schools, which, it seems, is rather ambitious for me given my work experience. But I'm determined to put my best foot forward; waiting for another couple of years is not really an option for me. I'd really appreciate any feedback and advice, especially regarding the essays and recommendations. I have a lot of stories, just need to figure out which ones should go on my essays, and how. Hiring an Admissions consultant seems ideal, but the US ones seem way too expensive, especially given the exchange rate, and I don't feel like going with any based in India (I'm a decent writer myself ).

Also feel free to hit me up if you need any suggestions regarding the prep process!

More power to women!

Nice to see a post for women!

I'm applying for the 2016 intake season to US schools in the Top 10 + others that fit where I want to be.

I currently working in the business research industry, and want to move into consulting or corporate strategy specifically in retail/luxury/CPG

Welcome to the thread, mmanikins, noobexpert and akankshacee! So glad to have you here.

mmanikins:

Nice to meet you, too!

I totally get what you mean about self-studying for the GMAT..."grueling" is truly the word. Still, I agree with noobexpert that it is possible to get a 700+ score on your own - I got a 700 that way, although I'm considering retaking the test. Having said that, there must be other prep courses out there that will cater better to your needs than the one you described. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to recommend any. If anyone reading this has any helpful suggestions for mmanikins (whether self-study strategies, more reasonably paced prep courses, online resources, etc.), please share that info with her here, so she and we all can benefit. Perhaps noobexpert has some ideas?

Your finance-related post-MBA plans sound very interesting. I think they're also very feasible, as I know some grads who have used their MBA for that. I'm leaning more towards consulting myself.

noobexpert:

That's a very impressive profile! Thanks for sharing your experiences.

As for the work experience issue, yes, to be honest, I agree you're being ambitious, but at least knowing what you're up against puts you ahead of the game. You can prepare your rebuttals. Like you, I'm strongly considering hiring an admissions consultant. They're expensive, but the ROI could be huge if I get into my dream schools. I'll let you know what I end up doing.

Yes, more power to women!

akankshacee:

I think a few of us here are targeting Top 10 programs. I like that you're also considering others that are a good fit for you. It's easy to get carried away with rankings.

Nice to see another potential consulting colleague (post MBA)!

Have a great week, ladies!

msMBA1 - I've been thinking domestically based on my experience and background.

Stay positive with the GMAT, it's a beast for sure. Feel free to read my test day recap - I really think your testing mindset is the most important factor on your performance: https://gmatclub.com/forum/770-score-test-day-strategy-198800.html

Thank you for the warm welcome!

Regarding GMAT prep, I've signed up for a more self-pace prep course on quant. It has been helpful so far but I need to dedicate time to learn the content (It does not help that work has been hectic lately). For verbal, the CR bible has been tremendously helpful and I've been using free magoosh guides/apps for sentence correction. I plan to leave the RC, AWA and IR last to study.

I've scheduled my exam for late June (so that if I need to retake, I could still do it before Round 1/2 applications). I am fully prepared to sacrifice a lot of social time for studying/practicing (except community service/exercising, it's a stress reliever!). Ideally, I would like to break 700 to override my lower GPA in undergrad (freshman year was not my friend).

HOWEVER, I would love to hear any advice/tips from you all! Especially tips to stay focused!

Career wise, I would like to break into the retail/luxury/CPG industry. I'm also interested in finance/data related functions so if I could have both function and career in tact post-MBA, it would be fantastic!

School choice wise, I'm aiming towards the lower half of the top 25 US schools and would like to try out living somewhere warmer for a couple of years. Then off to where my post MBA goals will take me (I'm from the Northeast and have never been too fond of the cold...)!

Have any of you gals visit campuses yet? I plan to visit Duke and UNC next week with a friend and Georgetown/UMD in the following month. I know classes are not in session but summer/fall is practically the only times during the year I could attempt to do campus visits and have a feel to see if it is a good fit for me.

Have a great week everyone!

Hi all!

I'm Megs and I'm (hopefully) a 2016 applicant. I kind of dropped the ball on getting an early start, so I haven't taken the GMAT yet. I am about 60-40 on applying this year. I have a government grant that expires in 2 years, and my GRE expires this year, which was a bit of a kick in the behind to get going. Would love opinions on whether to apply or stick it out another year. I'm targeting top schools in California and maybe a few wild cards.

I currently work in tech as a software engineer, and also am involved in product management, and want to switch the percentages I spend in each role I've been working in big Hollywood studios' small 'startups' for about 3 years now, and have a few years experience doing other things.

I will be spending the next few months coaxing myself through lots of GMAT prep. I've kind of been out of school awhile and am pretty out of practice at math. (And unfortunately my GRE scores are about 50 points too low in math to just use them!)

Thanks for the encouragement, CircusNerd! It's much appreciated. Your test day recap was a great read and I do agree our testing mindset plays a huge role in how we do.

~Esther (aka msMBA1)

Welcome to the thread, mmanikins, noobexpert and akankshacee! So glad to have you here.

mmanikins:

Nice to meet you, too!

I totally get what you mean about self-studying for the GMAT..."grueling" is truly the word. Still, I agree with noobexpert that it is possible to get a 700+ score on your own - I got a 700 that way, although I'm considering retaking the test. Having said that, there must be other prep courses out there that will cater better to your needs than the one you described. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to recommend any. If anyone reading this has any helpful suggestions for mmanikins (whether self-study strategies, more reasonably paced prep courses, online resources, etc.), please share that info with her here, so she and we all can benefit. Perhaps noobexpert has some ideas?

Your finance-related post-MBA plans sound very interesting. I think they're also very feasible, as I know some grads who have used their MBA for that. I'm leaning more towards consulting myself.

noobexpert:

That's a very impressive profile! Thanks for sharing your experiences.

As for the work experience issue, yes, to be honest, I agree you're being ambitious, but at least knowing what you're up against puts you ahead of the game. You can prepare your rebuttals. Like you, I'm strongly considering hiring an admissions consultant. They're expensive, but the ROI could be huge if I get into my dream schools. I'll let you know what I end up doing.

Yes, more power to women!

akankshacee:

I think a few of us here are targeting Top 10 programs. I like that you're also considering others that are a good fit for you. It's easy to get carried away with rankings.

Nice to see another potential consulting colleague (post MBA)!

Have a great week, ladies!



You're so welcome, mmanikins!

It sounds like you have a good action plan in place for the GMAT. Thanks for sharing the resources you found helpful. Yes, a strong GMAT should help with the GPA issue, I'd think. As for freshman year, whose friend was it? LOL.

Retail/luxury/CPG sound exciting post-MBA, too. I'd like schools somewhere warmer, too, but not sure that's in the cards for me, given the ones I'm shooting for.

No campus visits for me yet. If you have time, please tell us how you feel about Duke, UNC & Georgetown/UMD after visiting.

~Esther (aka msMBA1)

Welcome to the thread, megss! Glad to have you here!

Lucky you, with that government grant, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't just dropped into your lap. Well done!

About applying this year vs. next year, it sounds like you have a lot of experience already, so my two cents would be to apply this year. You didn't say how many years you've worked in total, but one of my colleagues applied (with about 8 years of experience) to a top school for her MBA...only to be told she should wait and consider an Executive MBA instead, which she didn't want.

As for the GMAT, as CircusNerd says, attitude is key. I'm trying to bear that in mind, as I coax myself through it as well.

~Esther (aka msMBA1)

Hi Ladies,

Thought I would suggest one resource that was helpful to me prior to business school - I'm sure many of you are already familiar with the Forte Foundation...but I'll just mention that they have a couple of conferences (which are a mix of speakers and networking with recruiters). I attended the Finance Conference in the summer of 2008 right before I started my MBA at Sloan and enjoyed it. I read an article the other day that said that on average women received 50% less interview invites and offers during their final year of b-school (compared to men). The reality is that as a woman you are fighting an uphill battle because there is (I think) a bias towards men because they do not leave the workforce/company to have children. The more networking you can do beyond what your program offers - the better.

I'm an admissions consultant and have been working with candidates since 2009 when I was in b-school myself. Feel free to reach out for a complimentary chat about school selection etc. https://fxmbaconsulting.com/free-mba-adm ... sultation/
If you saw this posting here (and you're a female applicant), mention it and I'll extend a 25% discount on top of any services you're interested in

Leadership Conference
https://www.fortefoundation.org/site/Pag ... ts_powerup

Finance Conference
https://www.fortefoundation.org/site/Pag ... =moveahead

They also have a fellows program you can apply for. Although they aren't giving you a scholarship being a fellow is likely a platform that will give you more visibility within their network and with partner recruiters.
https://www.fortefoundation.org/site/Pag ... Wstoc9VhBc